Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani once said he could walk out into the middle of Times Square and start handing out $100 bills. A third of the people would say he was not handing out enough money. Another third would say he was handing out too much money. Another third would say they didn't like the way he was handing out the money. Welcome to a new feature on orlandomagic.com – GLASS HALF-FULL. A local sports writer once told me that his job was to watch the battle from the mountain top, ride down, and bayonet the wounded. We live in a world of cynics. But not here, at GLASS HALF-FULL. I will do my best to answer your questions going forward.

What can you expect? Rainbows and gum drops. No scraped knees and rubbing alcohol, here. I will give you the flip side. I will give you Cotton Candy, not the dentist's office. It's not Fast Food. It's Good Food Fast. Being negative takes up a lot of energy. Being nice is easy. Will there be some spin? Sure, but I prefer the word "Influence". By nature, I am an optimist. Sure, former draft pick Jerryl Sasser couldn't shoot, but you should have seen him defend in practice. And, he had a never-wavering confidence about him. You say, "What's the deal with Fran Vazquez staying in Spain to play? I say, he's still an asset to the Magic and that's part of the process of drafting international players. Hopefully, that gives you a look into the Magic-blue colored world I can tend to drift into. My takes will be credible though, just the other side of the coin.

While some seem to be on the attack, here are some facts to consider regarding the Orlando Magic:

· Since the DeVos Family purchased the team in 1991-92, the Magic is tied for first in the NBA's Eastern Conference with a winning percentage of 54 percent.

- The Orlando Magic has the longest active playoff streak in the NBA's Eastern Conference, having reached the postseason in each of the last six years. Orlando's playoff streak ranks fifth best overall in the NBA.

- Entering the 2012 NBA Playoffs, Orlando has the third most amount of playoff wins over the last four years, trailing just the Boston Celtics and L.A. Lakers.

- Over the last five years, the Orlando Magic has the fourth most amount of wins in the NBA, trailing just the L.A. Lakers, Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs.

· The Amway Center, a finalist for Sports Facility of the Year by The Sports Business Journal, is gaining worldwide acclaim. A Orlando game and the Amway Center is certainly the place to be, as the Magic has sold out 153 straight games.

· In its relatively short 23-year history, Orlando has performed admirably on the court. Orlando has won five division championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010), had seven 50-plus win seasons, and won the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009. The Magic has earned 14 playoff berths over the last 19 years. In addition Orlando Magic players, coaches and executives have garnered 20 major NBA Awards over the last 13 seasons, from player performance awards to coach/executive accolades.

· Off the court, on an annual basis, the Orlando Magic gives more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise, scholarships and grants. Orlando Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 100,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 6,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition since 1996, the Magic has awarded a total of 57 college scholarships.

· On an annual basis, Magic players and community ambassadors log more than 1,000 community appearances to area schools, organizations and neighborhood centers. Magic players and staff have played a role in refurbishing local educational centers, building playgrounds in the community, leading read to achieve initiatives, and building homes via Habitat for Humanity. This past season, Orlando players and coaches purchased tickets which allowed an average of 600 underprivileged kids to attend each Magic game.

· Over the last 22 years more than $17 million has been distributed to local non-profit community organizations via the Orlando Magic Youth Fund (OMYF-MFF), a McCormick Foundation Fund since 1994, which serves at-risk youth, including $1 million this year.

· The Orlando Magic has developed into a leader throughout all of Central Florida, playing an integral role in driving and shaping economic and community endeavors. There is a lot of civic pride for the City Beautiful and the Orlando Magic.

· ESPN The Magazine confirmed what many Orlando Magic fans already knew: Being part of the Magic is among the best experiences in all of sports. In its eighth annual Ultimate Sports Rankings, the Magic ranked first among all NBA teams and second among all NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL franchises. The standings were tabulated on a variety of categories, including: Fan Relations, Affordability, Ownership Commitment, On-the-court performance, Stadium Experience.

· The national Sports Business Journal, the benchmark publication for sports organizations, confirmed Orlando’s success by naming the Magic as a finalist for the 2011 “Sports Team of the Year” and the Amway Center as a finalist for 2011 and 2012 “Sports Facility of the Year.” It was the first time in franchise history the Magic had been named a finalist in these two prestigious categories. ESPN’s ninth annual Ultimate Standings ranked the Magic’s stadium experience the best in the NBA and fifth overall among all teams from the NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA.

· The Orlando Magic received three major awards at the 2012 NBA Sales and Marketing meetings. The organization was awarded a "10,000 Season Tickets Sold Award," while also being honored with a "Sponsorship Retention Award" for retaining more than 90 percent of its corporate partnership agreements, and a "Web Traffic Award" for OrlandoMagic.com which takes into account a formula involving page views, video streams, unique visitors and time spent on site.

At the 2011 NBA Sales and Marketing Meetings, the organization also received a “10,000 Season Tickets Sold Award”, and earned a “2,000 New Season Tickets Sold Award,” and a “Sponsorship Performance Award” for having more than 40 sponsors in the Top 50 corporate partnership categories.

· The Orlando Magic’s commitment to excellence has elevated the organization’s stature as one of the first-class organizations in all of professional sports. On a regular basis the Orlando Magic is used in best practice examples, in everything from fan engagement and customer service to sponsor activation to digital media to orlandomagic.com original content.

· In concert with the acclaimed Disney Institute, every Orlando Magic and affiliated business service partner employee has taken part in customer service training.

· Orlando has made a commitment to affordable ticket options. Ticket highlights for the 2012-13 season in the Amway Center include: 2,500 seats priced $20 or less, 10,000 seats priced $40 or less and 9,000 seats priced $50 or under

· Through the National Basketball Association’s NBA Cares program, the league, players and teams have donated more than $145 million to charity, provided more than 1.4 million hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 525 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play. The NBA is broadcast in 215 countries and territories in 41 languages.

* Orlando won the season series from the Pacers, 3 games to 1. These two teams have not met in the postseason since 1994-95, when the Magic defeated the Pacers in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals

* The Magic will be without Dwight Howard (back) for the entire postseason. Orlando went 4-8 without Howard during the regular season.

* Indiana has lost seven of its last playoff games. The Pacers are looking to win a postseason series for the first time since defeating Boston in the first round of the 2004-05 playoffs.

* The Pacers are 28-5
this season when Roy Hibbert pulls down at least nine rebounds.

* Ryan Anderson led the league with 166 three-point field goals. Anderson has averaged 21.4 points and 10.4 rebounds over his last five games.

* Danny Granger had 20 or more points in four of his five playoff games last season. He averaged 19.3 ppg against the Magic this year.

While some seem to be on the attack, here are some facts to consider regarding the Orlando Magic:

· Since the DeVos Family purchased the team in 1991-92, the Magic is tied for first in the NBA's Eastern Conference with a winning percentage of 54 percent.

- The Orlando Magic has the longest active playoff streak in the NBA's Eastern Conference, having reached the postseason in each of the last six years. Orlando's playoff streak ranks fifth best overall in the NBA.

- Entering the 2012 NBA Playoffs, Orlando has the third most amount of playoff wins over the last four years, trailing just the Boston Celtics and L.A. Lakers.

- Over the last five years, the Orlando Magic has the fourth most amount of wins in the NBA, trailing just the L.A. Lakers, Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs.

· The Amway Center, a finalist for Sports Facility of the Year by The Sports Business Journal, is gaining worldwide acclaim. A Orlando game and the Amway Center is certainly the place to be, as the Magic has sold out 153 straight games.

· In its relatively short 23-year history, Orlando has performed admirably on the court. Orlando has won five division championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010), had seven 50-plus win seasons, and won the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009. The Magic has earned 14 playoff berths over the last 19 years. In addition Orlando Magic players, coaches and executives have garnered 20 major NBA Awards over the last 13 seasons, from player performance awards to coach/executive accolades.

· Off the court, on an annual basis, the Orlando Magic gives more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise, scholarships and grants. Orlando Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 100,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 6,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition since 1996, the Magic has awarded a total of 57 college scholarships.

· On an annual basis, Magic players and community ambassadors log more than 1,000 community appearances to area schools, organizations and neighborhood centers. Magic players and staff have played a role in refurbishing local educational centers, building playgrounds in the community, leading read to achieve initiatives, and building homes via Habitat for Humanity. This past season, Orlando players and coaches purchased tickets which allowed an average of 600 underprivileged kids to attend each Magic game.

· Over the last 22 years more than $17 million has been distributed to local non-profit community organizations via the Orlando Magic Youth Fund (OMYF-MFF), a McCormick Foundation Fund since 1994, which serves at-risk youth, including $1 million this year.

· The Orlando Magic has developed into a leader throughout all of Central Florida, playing an integral role in driving and shaping economic and community endeavors. There is a lot of civic pride for the City Beautiful and the Orlando Magic.

· ESPN The Magazine confirmed what many Orlando Magic fans already knew: Being part of the Magic is among the best experiences in all of sports. In its eighth annual Ultimate Sports Rankings, the Magic ranked first among all NBA teams and second among all NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL franchises. The standings were tabulated on a variety of categories, including: Fan Relations, Affordability, Ownership Commitment, On-the-court performance, Stadium Experience.

· The national Sports Business Journal, the benchmark publication for sports organizations, confirmed Orlando’s success by naming the Magic as a finalist for the 2011 “Sports Team of the Year” and the Amway Center as a finalist for 2011 and 2012 “Sports Facility of the Year.” It was the first time in franchise history the Magic had been named a finalist in these two prestigious categories. ESPN’s ninth annual Ultimate Standings ranked the Magic’s stadium experience the best in the NBA and fifth overall among all teams from the NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA.

· The Orlando Magic received three major awards at the 2012 NBA Sales and Marketing meetings. The organization was awarded a "10,000 Season Tickets Sold Award," while also being honored with a "Sponsorship Retention Award" for retaining more than 90 percent of its corporate partnership agreements, and a "Web Traffic Award" for OrlandoMagic.com which takes into account a formula involving page views, video streams, unique visitors and time spent on site.

At the 2011 NBA Sales and Marketing Meetings, the organization also received a “10,000 Season Tickets Sold Award”, and earned a “2,000 New Season Tickets Sold Award,” and a “Sponsorship Performance Award” for having more than 40 sponsors in the Top 50 corporate partnership categories.

· The Orlando Magic’s commitment to excellence has elevated the organization’s stature as one of the first-class organizations in all of professional sports. On a regular basis the Orlando Magic is used in best practice examples, in everything from fan engagement and customer service to sponsor activation to digital media to orlandomagic.com original content.

· In concert with the acclaimed Disney Institute, every Orlando Magic and affiliated business service partner employee has taken part in customer service training.

· Orlando has made a commitment to affordable ticket options. Ticket highlights for the 2012-13 season in the Amway Center include: 2,500 seats priced $20 or less, 10,000 seats priced $40 or less and 9,000 seats priced $50 or under

· Through the National Basketball Association’s NBA Cares program, the league, players and teams have donated more than $145 million to charity, provided more than 1.4 million hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 525 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play. The NBA is broadcast in 215 countries and territories in 41 languages.

1) The Magic and Celtics are among three teams battling for the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference and the first round home court advantage that goes with it. Orlando has the easier schedule but also a lot more road games to play than the other two.

Remaining Schedules of Eastern Conference 4-6 Teams

TEAM

Strength of Schedule

Gms

Home

Road

vs.500+

Celtics

.595

4

3

1

3

Hawks

.531

5

5

0

4

Magic

.474

5

1

4

4

2) The Magic are fresh off an amazing display of shooting in a win over the 76ers, one of the top defensive teams in the NBA.

With Dwight Howard out of the lineup for most of the month, Anderson and Glen Davis have filled the rebounding void for the Magic. Davis sprained his knee in Sunday’s game but hopes to return tonight./em>

Most Rebounds per Game by Duos, April 2012
(Played in 50% of Team's Games)

1) Perhaps a visit from Philadelphia will help the Magic continue the momentum generated by Sunday’s 100-84 victory over Cleveland. No team has posted a better record against the 76ers in recent seasons than Orlando.

Best Record vs. 76ers, Since 2005-06

TEAM

RECORD

PCT

Magic

20-5

.800

Jazz

11-3

.786

Mavericks

10-3

.769

Lakers

9-4

.692

Heat

17-8

.680

2) Monday’s game may be decided by whether the Magic’s prowess on three-pointers overwhelms the 76ers’ success inside the arc.

2011-12, Games with More FGM/TGM Than Opponent

76ers, more 2-Pt FGM Than Opp: 44 (most in NBA)
Magic, more 3-Pt FGM Than Opp: 49 (most in NBA)

The Magic’s 49 games with more made three-point field goals are 12 more than any other team (Spurs and Thunder, 37 each).

3) )Jameer Nelson has done his part to try to pick up the slack for the absence of Dwight Howard, increasing his scoring average by nearly eight points per game.

Jameer Nelson PPG by Dwight Howard Status, 2011-12

Howard Plays: 10.9 (511/47)
Howard Doesn’t Play: 18.8 (94/5)

Posted by Glass Half Full, Sunday, April 15, 2012, 12:15 PM

Three-Point Play

1) The Magic are looking at having to play without Dwight Howard for a while. Winning without Howard will be a huge challenge.

2) Orlando has shown great scoring depth this season, as it’s the only team in the NBA with seven 500-point scorers.

NBA, Most Players with 500+ Points – 2011-12

Orlando Magic: ​​7
Det, GS, Hou, Ind, NY, Phi, Por, Uta​: 6

3) Von Wafer’s 16 points off the bench last game were the most points he scored in an NBA game in over three years (17 on April 1, 2009 with Houston). Wafer has been one of the most accurate shooters this April.

1) Over the last 20 seasons, the Nuggets have not had much success playing in Orlando.

Magic, Best Home Record by Opponent, Since 1992-93

OPPONENT

RECORD

Denver Nuggets

17-1 .944

​Charlotte Bobcats

​13-2 .867

Washington Wizards

35-6 .854

Golden State Warriors

15-3 .833

2) The last time these two teams faced each other, Dwight Howard had a phenomenal defensive performance.

Games w/ 18+ Rebounds, 4+ Steals & 4+ Blocks, Since 2003-04

DATE

PLAYER

​OPP

Rebs/Stls/Blks

3/4/04

Ben Wallace, Det

Por

19/4/4

2/26/06

Ben Wallace, Det

Cle

19/4/5

12/1/07

Ben Wallace, Chi

Cha

19/5/4

3/18/11

Dwight Howard, Orl

​Den

18/4/5

3/21/11

Dwight Howard, Orl

Cle

18/4/4

3) The Magic have hit a 10 or more three-pointers in four of their last five games.

Most Games with 10+ Three-Point FGM, Since 2007-08

TEAM

#

Orlando Magic

204

New York Knicks

​132

Golden State Warriors

121

Phoenix Suns

114

Indiana Pacers

​101

Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, March 30, 2012, 3:15 PM

Three-Point Play

1) Ryan Anderson has made at least one three-pointer in 30 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NBA. Jameer Nelson ranks third on the list with a 22-game streak.

2) Dwight Howard has recorded a double-double in each of his last six games versus the Mavs, averaging 24.7 points, 16.0 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks over that span.

3) The Magic had won three in a row prior to Wednesday’s 108-86 loss to the Knicks. Orlando’s last eight games have been decided by at least 10 points (4-4 record).

Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 11:15 AM

Three-Point Play

1) Ryan Anderson leads the league with 40 made three’s this month.

NBA, Most Three-Pointers Made in March – 2011-12

PLAYER

#

Ryan Anderson, Orl

40

Kevin Love, Min

38

Steve Novak, NY

37

Randy Foye, LAC

34

Joe Johnson, Atl

34

2) Ryan Anderson has sunk 18 threes over the last three games, three shy of Dennis Scott’s franchise mark of 21 over a three-game span from February 29 - March 4, 1996. The Magic record for most three-pointers made in a four-game span is 27, also by Scott, starting a day earlier from February 28 - March 4, 1996.

3) Carmelo Anthony knows firsthand from their days as Olympic teammates just how dominant Dwight Howard can be defensively. The three-time defending Defensive Player of the Year appears poised to earn the honor for the fourth time, tying Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace for the most all-time.

NBA, Players w/ 14.0+ RPG, 2.0+ BPG & 1.5+ SPG – Since 1973-74

SEASON

PLAYER

RPG

BPG

SPG

2011-12

Dwight Howard, Orl

14.7

2.2

1.5

1989-90

Hakeem Olajuwon, Hou

14.0

4.6

2.1

1975-76

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LAL

16.9

4.1

1.5

1974-75

Sam Lacey, KCO

14.2

2.1

1.7

Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, March 23, 2012, 11:15 AM

Three-Point Play

1) Since the 2000-01 season, the Magic have defeated only one team at home more often than they have beaten the Cavaliers.

Orlando Magic, Most Home Wins by Opponent, Since 2000-01

OPPONENT

WINS

Washington Wizards

​19

Cleveland Cavaliers

17 (17-5)

Milwaukee Bucks

17

Atlanta Hawks

16

2) Over the last six seasons, Dwight Howard has over 100 more rebounds than any other player has pulled down against the Cavaliers.

Most Rebounds vs. Cavaliers, Since 2006-07

PLAYER

REBOUNDS

Dwight Howard

​254

Kevin Garnett

152

Josh Smith

152

David Lee

149

Of note, Dwight Howard is coming off a 28-point, 16-rebound and 3-block performance against the Suns. Over the last five seasons, these types of games have been quite common for Howard.

Games w/ 28+ Points, 15+ Rebounds & 3+ Blks, Since 2007-08

Dwight Howard: 23
All Other NBA Players: 23

3) The Magic will be tough to beat if they are hitting their three-pointers tonight.

Orlando Magic, Record by 3-Point FG Pct in Game, 2011-12

40+ Pct: 20-2
Less Than 40 Pct: 10-18

Of note, Ryan Anderson, coming off a 7-for-12 three-point shooting performance against the Suns Wednesday night, has hit treys in bunches this season.

Most Games with 5+ 3-Pt FGM, 2011-12 Season

PLAYER

GAMES

Ryan Anderson

​9

Kevin Martin

6

Deron Williams

5

Steve Novak

5

Kevin Love

5

Brandon Jennings

5

Posted by Glass Half Full, Sunday, March 18, 2012, 11:15 AM

Three-Point Play

1) It took the Magic a little over a month to find their footing, but they’ve been on a roll ever since.

Orlando Magic, Season Breakdown – 2011-12

Thru 1/31

Since 2/1

Won-Loss

​12-9

17-7

Points/Gm

91.2

97.6

Opp Pts/Gm

90.8

93.2

FG Pct

.434

​.451

Opp FG Pct

.442

.429

Eastern Conf Standing

6th

3rd (as of Sunday)

Orlando’s 17-7 (.708) record since the start of February is tied with Oklahoma City for fourth best in the NBA.

2) It’s taken Jameer Nelson a little longer than the rest of his teammates to get going this year, but he’s improved his shooting each month and finally appears to have regained his stroke.

Jameer Nelson, Month-by-Month – 2011-12

Month

FG%

3PT%

PPG

December

.364

​.000

6.7

January

.392

.317

8.3

February

.403

​.340

​11.6

March

.511

.538

13.3

3) Not only is Dwight Howard having the second-best shooting month of his career, he’s averaging his second-most points per game during the month as well.

Ryan Anderson has only played in 43 games this season, but he has already accomplished what few players have done over a full season in recent years.

Players with 120+ 3PM and 150+ Off. Reb. in a Season, Since 2004-05

PLAYER

SEASON

3PM

O. REB

Antawn Jamison, Was

2005-06

147

167

Mehmet Okur, Uta

2006-07

129

160

Al Harrington, Ind-GS

2006-07

127

151

Antawn Jamison, Was

2007-08

120

215

Ryan Anderson, Orl

2011-12

121

159

Posted by Glass Half Full, Saturday, March 3, 2012, 11:15 AM

Three-Point Play

1) The Magic are going for their fourth win in 22 days against Milwaukee. An Orlando win tonight will make them just the fourth team in over 40 years to defeat an opponent four times in 22 days or less.

Teams to Beat Single Opponent 4 Times in 22 or Fewer Days, NBA Since 1970-71

MATCHUP

DAYS

DATES

Spurs beat Nuggets

19

03/15/1998-03/31/1998

Lakers beat Clippers

14

02/25/99 - 03/10/99

Celtics beat Braves

18

11/30/70 - 12/17/70

Getting a win in Orlando will be a tall task for the Bucks. They haven’t been able to accomplish this feat since 2004.

The Magic lead the NBA in three-point baskets and have two sharpshooters with long streaks entering tonight’s contest.

Longest Active Game Streak with a 3-Pointer, NBA 2011-12

PLAYER

GAMES

Raja Bell, Uta

18

Ryan Anderson, Orl

16

Jason Richardson, Orl

13

Channing Frye, Pho

13

Steve Novak, NY

12

Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, March 1, 2012, 2:45 PM

Getting Ready for the Thunder

* While the Thunder beat Orlando, 97-89, in the season opener for both teams on Christmas, the Magic have not lost two in a row in the series since they were facing the Seattle Supersonics in 2005 and 2006.

* With Wednesday’s 92-88 victory at Philadelphia, the Thunder have won six in a row, and have scored at least 90 points in each of their past 19 games. No other team in the league boasts an active streak longer than eight straight games with 90 or more.

* Orlando defeated Washington last night, 102-95, to improve to 10-3 this season when coming off a loss. The Magic have not allowed more than 95 points in any of their past 11 games.

* With 23 points on Wednesday, Kevin Durant has now outscored his opposing small forward in all 35 games this season, the most such games by any player at any position.

* James Harden leads the NBA with 66 made free throws in the second quarter of games this season, while teammate Nick Collison ranks second in the league with a field-goal percentage of 75.0 (27-for-36) in the second period (minimum 25 FGM).

* Ryan Anderson led the Magic on Wednesday in both points (23) and rebounds (15) for only the second time in his career (April 10, 2011).

Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, February 23, 2012, 11:15 AM

Three-Point Play

1) Orlando has held nine straight opponents to 94 points or less – one short of tying the franchise record.

Magic, Most Cons. Gms Holding Opp. Below 95 Pts – All-Time

#

DATES

10

03/15/1998-03/31/1998

9

02/08/2012-02/22/2012 (ACTIVE)

9

12/27/1997-01/13/1998

9

01/16/2012-01/27/2012

8

02/08/1999-02/21/1999

8

11/14/1997-11/28/1997

2) Both Orlando and Atlanta are averaging more than 100 points per game in wins, but fewer than 84 ppg in losses this season.

3) Dwight Howard is one of just two players leading his team in points, rebounds and steals this season. Howard also led the Magic in these categories in 2010-11.

Players Leading Team in Points, Rebounds & Steals – 2011-12

Player

Points

Rebounds

Steals

Dwight Howard

690

522

49

Greg Monroe

583

344

49

Meanwhile, Ryan Anderson, J.J. Redick and the sidelined Jason Richardson (10 games) all have double-digit game streaks for making at least one three-point field goal.

Most Consecutive Games with 1+ 3-Point FGM – Active Streak

PLAYER

GAMES

Raja Bell, Uta

18

Ryan Anderson, Orl

13

Marcus Thornton, Sac

12

J.J. Redick, Orl

11

Mike Miller, Mia

11

Channing Frye, Pho

11

Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, 3:15 PM

Ryno!

John Hollinger, ESPN, released his All Jeremy Lin Team -- 10 guys who you really ought to be hearing about but aren't because of the mania surrounding Lin. Among them, Ryan Anderson.

Here's Hollinger:

Ryan Anderson, Orlando: You didn't think you were getting out of here without some love for The Grenade Launcher, did you? For all the flak we give Otis Smith, let's point out one thing he absolutely did right: Getting Anderson as a throw-in in the Vince Carter trade with New Jersey. After two seasons a reserve, this year he's emerging as a star -- in fact he's sixth in the East in PER and pushing Dwight Howard for the Orlando team lead in that category, helping keep the Magic afloat at 21-12 despite the fact that their guards can barely get the ball across the time line.

Anderson's longball is so deadly when paired with Howard's interior dominance that he has the second-best plus-minus difference in the NBA, exceeded only by the Clippers' Blake Griffin. Orlando is plus-9.41 points per 100 possessions with Anderson on the court but a ghastly minus-10.11 points per 100 possessions once he checks out.

With good reason. He leads the NBA in 3-pointers and has made 44 percent with his easy, over-the-shoulder motion, and the result is some insanely efficient offense. His 60.9 TS% is the best of any starting power forward, as is his shockingly low 4.4 turnover ratio. It's not always visually stimulating, but it's hard to argue with lots of high percentage shots with no turnovers.

1) Both Orlando and Milwaukee have quick turnarounds after playing yesterday. The Magic have fared much better on zero days’ rest this season than the Bucks have.

Magic & Bucks, On 0 Days’ Rest – 2011-12
(with NBA Ranks)

ORL

MIL

Won-Loss

7-4 (8th)

3-7 (t-23rd)

Points/Game

90.9 (22nd)

91.6 (t-19th)

Field Goal Pct

.431 (19th)

.411 (27th)

3-PT FG Pct

.367 (9th)

.263 (29th)

Free Throw Pct

.658 (Last)

.790 (7th)

2) Ryan Anderson is tied for the third-most three-pointers made per game over the last 16 seasons.

NBA, Most Three-Pointers Made/Game – Since 1996-97

SEASON

Player, Team

3PM/G

2005-06

Ray Allen, Sea

3.4

2001-02

Ray Allen, Mil

3.3

2006-07

Ray Allen, Sea

3.0

2007-08

Peja Stojakovic, NO

3.0

2011-12

Ryan Anderson, Orl

3.0 (93/31)

3) Anderson leads the league in games with two-plus three-pointers made

NBA, Most Games with 2+ Three-Pointers Made – 2011-12

PLAYER

GAMES

Ryan Anderson, Orl

23

Jason Terry, Dal

20

Hedo Turkoglu, Orl

19

Anthony Morrow, NJ

19

Brandon Jennings, Mil

18

Six others with

18

Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, February 17, 2012, 11:15 AM

Three-Point Play

1) The Magic haven’t lost a game at home to the Bucks since their 111-105 loss on December 29, 2004.

Longest Home Winning Streak vs. an Eastern Conf. Opponent, Active

HOME TEAM

OPPONENT

GMS

Phoenix Suns

Milwaukee Bucks

24

San Antonio Spurs

Atlanta Hawks

14

Chicago Bulls

Detroit Pistons

11

Orlando Magic

Milwaukee Bucks

11

Dallas Mavericks

New Jersey Nets

11

San Antonio Spurs

Washington Wizards

11

2) After averaging fewer than 90 points per game last month, the Magic have scored 100 points or more in six of their nine games this month.

Largest Improvement in Points per Game, Jan -> Feb, 2012

TEAM

Jan

Feb

Diff

Orlando Magic

89.9

99.0

+9.1

Golden State Warriors

98.1

107.0

+8.9

Detroit Pistons

85.3

93.9

+8.6

Sacramento Kings

90.2

97.9

+7.7

Washington Wizards

89.8

96.9

+7.1

3) Ryan Anderson has made 87 threes in his first 29 games this season, the most in the NBA and 22 more than the next-closest player this season.

Most 3PM in Player’s First 30 Gms of Season, Since 2002-03

PLAYER

SEASON

3PM

Gilbert Arenas, WAS

2006-07

97

Ray Allen, SEA

2005-06

96

Baron Davis, NOH

2003-04

88

Jason Richardson, CHA

2007-08

88

Kyle Korver, PHI

2004-05

87

Ryan Anderson, ORL

2011-12

87

Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012, 3:15 PM

Getting You Ready for Philly

* The Magic have won seven of their last eight home games against the Sixers, while averaging 10.4 three-pointers over those seven victories.

* The Sixers, who have won three consecutive road games, have not won four straight road games since a 5-game win streak March 1-14, 2008.

* So far this month, the Magic have hit 95 three-pointers – 24 more than any other team in the league (Phoenix 71).

* In their 98-89 victory against the Bobcats Monday night, the Sixers had two bench players (Louis Williams, Thaddeus Young) score at least 20 points, while only one starter (Jrue Holliday 19) scored more than 11 points.

* Andre Iguodala has recorded multiple steals (11 total) in each of his last four games against the Magic.

* Dwight Howard has scored exactly 11 points in each of his last two games – marking the first time Howard has scored less than 12 points in back-to-back games since April 2-4, 2010.

1) The Magic have scored 100+ points in their last 10 games against Minnesota, tied for the 10th longest active streak by any team against any opponent.

* Orlando has lost just one game this season when reaching the century mark.

Best Record When Scoring 100+ Points - 2011-12

TEAM

RECORD

Bulls

11-0

Grizzlies

6-0

Kings

5-0

Lakers

3-0

Magic

12-1

2) Ryan Anderson has made the most of his increased playing time this season.

Largest Points Per Game Improvement, 2010-11 à 2011-12
(Played in 50.0% of Games Both Seasons)

PLAYER

10-11

11-12

Diff

Greg Monroe, Det

9.4

16.8

+7.4

Jeff Teague, Atl

5.2

12.1

+6.9

Jarrett Jack, NO

8.9

15.2

+6.3

Ryan Anderson, Orl

10.6

16.4

+5.8

C.J. Watson, Chi

4.9

10.4

+5.5

Kevin Love, MIN

20.2

25.6

+5.4

3) Dwight Howard has accounted for over 40 percent of his team’s points in the paint this season, while leading the team in rebounding in 25 of 28 games or 89 percent of the time.

Highest PCT of Team’s Points in Paint, 2011-12

PLAYER

PCT

Dwight Howard, Orl

404 (412/1020)

Blake Griffin, LAC

.352 (342/972)

Andrew Bynum, LAL

.290 (314/1084)

Greg Monroe, Det

.289 (340/1178)

David Lee, GS

.282 (254/902)

Highest PCT of Games Played Leading Team in Rebounds, 2011-12 (Minimum 10 G)

PLAYER

PCT

Kevin Love, Min

.923 (24/26)

Dwight Howard, Orl

.893 (25/28)

Anderson Varejao, Cle

.840 (21/25)

Greg Monroe, Det

.759 (22/29)

Kris Humphries, NJ

.741 (20/27)

Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, February 8, 2012, 11:15 AM

Three-Point Play

1) Over the last 5+ seasons, the Magic have defended their home court well against the Heat.

East Conf Teams, Best Home Record vs. Heat, Since 2006-07
(regular season only)

TEAM

RECORD

Orlando Magic

8-2

Boston Celtics

7-2

Chicago Bulls

7-2

Cleveland Cavaliers

7-2

2) Both the Magic and Heat have relied heavily on their starters for scoring this season.

Highest Pct of Points Scored By Starters, 2011-12

TEAM

PCT

Los Angeles Lakers

78.3

Miami Heat

75.8 (1958/2583)

Los Angeles Clippers

75.6

New York Knicks

73.3

Orlando Magic

73.1 (1692/2314)

3) Ryan Anderson leads the league in most games with 3+ three-point field goals made, while Dwight Howard has the most 14-plus rebound since 2004-05.

Games with 3+ 3PFGM in 2012

PLAYER

#

Ryan Anderson

13

Richard Jefferson

12

Brandon Jennings

12

Mario Chalmers

11

6 players tied with

9

Most Games with 14+ Rebounds, Since 2004-05

PLAYER

#

Dwight Howard

261

Marcus Camby

148

Tim Duncan

114

Kevin Garnett

113

Tyson Chandler

100

Posted by Glass Half Full, Monday, February 6, 2012, 10:15 AM

Three-Point Play

1) The Magic have not lost to the Clippers since a 116-91 thrashing on December 3, 2006. Orlando’s nine wins since then is the longest active streak by any Clippers’ opponent.

Longest Active Winning Streaks vs. Clippers

TEAM

#

Magic

9

Hawks

4

Bulls

2

76ers

2

Suns

2

2) Two of the three players who have averaged at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game over the past two seasons will be on the court Monday.

Players Averaging 20+ PPG & 10+ RPG, Since 2010-11

PPG

RPG

Dwight Howard

22.3 (2273/102)

14.3 (1461/102)

Blake Griffin

22.3 (2294/103)

11.8 (1218/103)

Kevin Love

21.4

14.8

Dwight Howard also will have to contend with an opposing center who is arguably as dominating around the basket as Howard is. He and DeAndre Jordan are two of only three players this season who have combined at least 40 rejections with 40 dunks.

Players with 40+ Blocked Shots & 40+ Dunks, 2011-12

PLAYER

Blocks

Dunks

JaVale McGee

72

53

DeAndre Jordan

63

52

Dwight Howard

53

58

3) Hedo Turkoglu’s offense has tended to perk up with each successive quarter, while Ryan Anderson's numbers are a good barometer for the Magic.

Hedo Turkoglu by Quarter, 2011-12

QTR

PPG

FG%

3P%

1st

2.2 (48/22)

.357 (20-56)

.273 (6-22)

2nd

2.3 (50/22)

.375 (18-48)

.400 (10-25)

3rd

3.4 (74/22)

.435 (27-62)

.400 (14-35)

4th

4.8 (100/21)

.500 (31-62)

.500 (16-32)

Ryan Anderson in Wins & Losses, 2011-12

QTR

PPG

FG%

3P%

In Wins

18.5 (278/15)

.474 (91-192)

.486 (54-111)

In Losses

12.1 (97/8)

.363 (33-91)

.289 (13-45)

Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, February 3, 2012, 12:15 PM

Three-Point Play

1) Dwight Howard is the reigning king of the 20/20 game. He has more this season than the rest of the association combined.

Most Games With 20+ Points, 20+ Rebounds, NBA 2011-12

PLAYER

#

Dwight Howard

5

Anderson Varejao

1

Andrew Bynum

1

LaMarcus Aldridge

1

Kevin Love

1

Howard has 37 20/20 games for his career, by far the most of any NBA player since his 2004-05 rookie season. Kevin Love’s 13 are second most during this stretch.

2) In his fourth NBA season, Ryan Anderson is a fulltime starter for the first time and is taking advantage of the opportunity.

Ryan Anderson, Career as a Starter

First 3 Seasons

This Season

Minutes/Game

24.5

30.1

Points/Game

10.2

6.5

Rebounds/Game

5.7

7.1

Field Goal%

.423

.441

3-PT FG%

.406

.432

3) The Orlando Magic is 10-0 when scoring 100-plus points this season, 9-1 when having the same or more assists than its opponent. The Magic enter weekend play ranked 8th in the league in points per game allowed (91.4 ppg.).

Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, 12:15 PM

Tech Talk

Bill Simmons of Grantland.com had this interesting take in his latest column:

"These are fairly amazing times for technology. At my cousin Kristin's wedding reception in Boston two Saturdays ago, 10 guests huddled around me watching the fourth quarter of Saints-Niners on my iPhone (via Slingbox). At one point, someone said to me, "Should I walk to my car and get my iPad so we can have a bigger screen?" We debated whether it would be worth the walk outside (in freezing weather), ultimately deciding against it. The following night in our hotel room, my wife decided she wanted to watch the first episode of Downton Abbey on Netflix Streaming (to see if she liked it). We hooked up the iPad to our bedroom TV with a special HDMI cable, and within a few minutes we were watching poor Bates get crapped on by Lord Stanley's staff … although really, I was only half watching it, because I was also watching a League Pass replay of Saturday night's Lakers-Clippers game on my iPad.4

Read that last paragraph again. How did we get here? Did you ever think we would be able to do things like watch football games on a phone at a wedding reception or watch our own on-demand shows on a hotel TV while also watching NBA games? The technology boom has been fantastic for NBA fans — with an onslaught of games every night, you can watch two games at once (one on your TV, one on your computer or iPad), catch up on games you missed (through those valuable League Pass replays), sneak peeks on your iPhone (hopefully not while going 75 miles an hour on the highway) or attend one game while watching another on your iPhone (depending on the arena's cell reception).

You always hear about players wanting to play in bigger markets, but here's the reality: Once technology progressed to a certain level, markets stopped mattering as much. Yeah, the Lakers and Knicks will always outspend everyone else because of their ticket/cable revenue, and yeah, players will always gravitate toward big cities, warm weather or tax-free states. But from a visibility standpoint, it doesn't matter where you play in 2012. Our marquee contenders are Miami, Chicago … and Oklahoma City. Our marquee superstars are LeBron, Wade, Kobe, Rose, Howard, Nowitzki … and Kevin Durant.

The best example of things changing: The Minnesota Timberwolves Rubio Loves improbably morphing into America's Team. This couldn't have happened 15 years ago, 10 years ago, or maybe even five years ago, but the League Pass/Twitter/Texting/iPhone/iPad Era has been a phenomenal asset for them. Any time something is brewing with Minnesota — the T-Wolves trying to upset another contender, Rubio approaching a triple-double, Love going for a 30-20, you name it — word spreads quickly enough to catch crunch time. You know, assuming you weren't watching it, anyway. Had this specific Timberwolves season happened 15 years ago, we only could have enjoyed it through Craig Kilborn's 2 a.m. SportsCenter highlights. In our on-demand world of 2012, you can watch any Timberwolves game in any possible situation. Amazing."

While you deliberate Pat's or Geno's for cheesesteaks, here are some notes to get you ready for tonight's Magic-Sixers tilt:

* Orlando has won three straight and 15 of its last 17 games against the 76ers. The Magic have also won each of their last six trips to Philadelphia, last losing there back in February of 2008.

* The 76ers have held their opponents to 74 points or less in each of their last two contests and own the best scoring defense in the NBA overall on the season, limiting their foes to just 87.0 points per game.

* The Magic have lost five of their last seven games and will be looking to avoid losing four consecutive contests for the first time since December of 2010.

* Andre Iguodala recorded the eighth triple-double of his career on Saturday, posting 10 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. Iguodala has scored at least 19 points in each of his last four home games against Orlando.

* Dwight Howard, who has the second-most double-doubles in the NBA this season (15), has grabbed at least 10 rebounds in 10 of his last 11 contests.

* Louis Williams has scored exactly 17 points in each of his last three games and is averaging 22.0 points in his last three games against the Magic.

Here's one Eastern Conference scouts assessment of the Magic as told to Marc Stein of ESPN.COM

"I think they're still pretty good. They've still got enough weapons around Dwight [Howard] to cause problems. Hedo [Turkoglu] is playing at a better level than he has lately. And Ryan Anderson is better at the 4 spot than Rashard Lewis was because he shoots it just as well but he's a little bit bigger. He's a better offensive rebounder and more adept at guarding 4s.

"And you've still got to game plan for Dwight as much as you did before. I don't see any drop-off because of all the trade stuff.

"At the end of the day, it's going to be the health that decides everything. Guys are dropping like flies and there will be more. The games are just coming too fast, too quick. There's no recovery time. You're either on a plane or you're at a game. I know how hard that is for us as scouts, so it's no surprise that guys are breaking down."

* These teams faced each other on Monday, with Boston winning that contest 87-56. The Celtics have won each of the last three meetings between these teams overall, but have lost nine of their last 11 trips to Orlando.

* The Celtics have won each of their last two games after winning just one of their previous seven contests. Boston is 4-1 against Southeast Division opponents this season.

* After opening the season 10-3, the Magic have now split their last four games. Orlando has held each of its last five opponents under 90 points.

* Dwight Howard has grabbed at least 15 rebounds in each of his last seven home games, including a total of 48 in his last two there.

* Paul Pierce is averaging 19.7 points in his last six games after averaging 13.7 points in his first seven games of the season. Pierce has scored at least 20 points in 13 of his last 16 trips to Orlando.

* The Celtics boast the best three-point percentage in the NBA this season at 41.1 percent, while the Magic own the second-best mark at 39.6 percent.

Through a dozen games your Magic finds itself at 9-3, first in the Southeast Division, tied for third in the Eastern Conference and tied for fourth in the NBA.

Nice start.

Keys to the Magic’s early success can be traced to outstanding ball movement and playing inside-out off of Dwight Howard. Orlando is averaging 22 assists per game, sixth in the NBA. When Orlando dishes out 20-plus assists they are 8-1.

The Magic have shot the ball well also. In fact, since the 2008-09 season, Orlando is 60-1 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field (one lone loss, Nov. 12, 2010 vs. Toronto). Orlando has made 10-plus three-pointers in 183 games under head coach Stan Van Gundy and is 136-47 in those games.

Orlando has also stayed relatively healthy through 12 games (knock on wood), missing just six games to player injuries. The Magic have also shown some nice resiliency as well, and its transition defense has been outstanding.

In regard to improvements, with what little practice time there is in this condensed schedule, look for the Magic to place an emphasis on not fouling as much, defending dribble penetration better and continuing to work on playing out of Dwight Howard double-teams.

Bill Reiter of Foxsports.com had an interesting take the other day on what are some hidden keys to winning.

His point is that more than any other major team sport the NBA builds its brand and sells its stars and itself through the individual. But, the power to win championships lies chemistry and continuity.

Writes Reiter, “The last NBA season – the one that kicked off the basketball renaissance now clearly under way – was almost entirely about the Miami Heat. It was about arrogance and hype, about who could beat them and who couldn’t. About how the Big Three could handle the drama – or couldn’t. It was about whether LeBron James had signed on for a sure thing or the vicious journey of self-doubt, anger, hatred, potential and disappointment that ultimately defined his, and the league’s, incredible year. Good stuff. But this NBA season – which is poised to be better, more dramatic, more interesting and full of even more attention-grabbing storylines – will be about something a lot less glitzy than the sagas of South Beach: Continuity. In this shortened season that’s placed a premium on being ready to roll from Day 1, the NBA’s new sexy is the innocuous power of having stability, chemistry and a true identity already in place…In a season with little practice, less training camp and almost no bonding time a serious advantage has been handed down to teams with no coaching changes, their cores mostly intact and their drama and growing pains already behind them. It’s why the Heat, Chicago Bulls, and Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves with the best records in the league and the best shots at a championship. It’s why teams like Philadelphia (returned their top 11 players from last season), Portland (added two key guards who have yet to make huge contributions but are otherwise intact), Atlanta (kept starting five) and Orlando (no major moves) are playing very good basketball and floating toward the top of the standings.Because chemistry and continuity, more than in perhaps any NBA season ever before, will be the keys to the title. Those teams that have it already have a great shot at winning a lot of games and positioning themselves for a strong playoff run. Those teams that don’t better find it soon or accept a season of mediocrity and disappointment.”

* The Magic have won five of the last six meetings between the teams and are 4-1 at Golden State since the start of the 2006-07 season (tied with the Cavaliers and Lakers for best road record vs. the Warriors over that span).

* Orlando, coming off a 107-104 victory in Portland on Wednesday, is 6-0 when scoring at least 100 points this season. The Magic are averaging 9.9 three-pointers made in 2011-12, the most of any team in the league.

* The Warriors snapped their five-game losing streak with their 111-106 overtime win over the Heat on Tuesday. It was also Golden State’s first 100-point game of the season.

* Monta Ellis has averaged 36.0 points and 9.0 assists per game in his last two home contests against the Magic. Ellis is one of just three players in the league who are averaging at least 20.0 points and 7.0 assists per game this season (LeBron James and Derrick Rose).

* Jason Richardson has averaged 23.4 points in 12 career games against the Warriors, his highest against any team in the league.

ESPN.com basketball guru John Hollinger named his 12-man All-Surprise Team. Here’s what he said about Most Improved Player Award candidate Ryan Anderson:

Ryan Anderson: Quick, guess who leads the Orlando Magic in PER? No, it's not Dwight Howard -- it's the grenade launcher, who at 25.17 is a few hundredths ahead of Superman. Anderson averages 23.5 points per 40 minutes by splashing his shoulder-fired missiles -- he's taking more than eight 3s a game -- and you realize how effective it is once you notice that he has two turnovers in nine games this season. Anderson also can rebound, using the offensive glass as a secondary weapon to generate layups and free throw attempts, but his main weapon is the long ball. His release is quick and accurate, and at 6-foot-10 he can get it off over closing defenders.

1)Orlando has held its opponents to 97 points or less in all nine of its games this season. That is the Magic’s longest streak to start a season since 1998-99, when they held their first 11 opponents to 97 points or less.

2)After averaging 10.6 points per game in 2010-11, Ryan Anderson is up to 18.0 ppg so far this season. That +7.4 improvement is the best by any player in the NBA (minimum played in 50% of team’s games in both seasons).

3)Since the 2008-09 season, Orlando is 57-1 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field (one lone loss, Nov. 12, 2010 vs. Toronto). Orlando has made 10-plus three-pointers in 180 games under head coach Stan Van Gundy as is 133-47 in those games.

Awesomely Athletic, fantastic first step, can fill it up or create for others.

That describes Orlando's Mr. Instant Offense Von Wafer.

"I know one thing," said head coach Stan Van Gundy, "it doesn't take him very long to get going. He brings great energy."

Wafer's way was on display during the Magic's West Coast opener, as Von scored seven points off the bench in 10 second quarter minutes to keep the Magic connected to the Sacramento Kings with Dwight Howard battling foul trouble.

Orlando went on to win 104-97, as Wafer finished with 12 points in 16-plus minutes.

And Wafer is ever appreciative of his opportunity in Orlando, always staying ready and often saying he is blessed and understands that a lot of other people would love to be in his shoes.

Make no mistake, in this compressed schedule, 66 games in 122 days, the Magic will need more from their bench, including the Wafer way.

1) The Magic have scored at least 100 points in every game they have played against the Kings since February 2008.

Magic, Longest Active Streak Scoring 100+ Pts vs. One Team

OPPPONENT

#

Timberwolves

10

Kings

8

Knicks

7

Suns

7

Wizards

7

2) At the same time, the Magic have held their opponents to less than 100 points in each of their last 10 regular season games.

Most Consec Games Allowing Less Than 100 Points
(active streaks; regular season only)

TEAM

#

Magic

10

Celtics

6

Mavericks

6

Four Teams

4

3) Ryan Anderson has certainly been picking up his three-pointers in bunches this season.

Most Games with 3+ Three-Point FGM, 2011-12 Season

PLAYER

#

Ryan Anderson

5

Richard Jefferson

5

Ray Allen

4

Jason Terry

4

Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, January 6, 2012, 10:45 AM

Three-Point Play

1) Dwight Howard had 28 points and 20 rebounds against the Wizards. It was the 34th time in Howard’s career that the center has had a 20-point, 20-rebound game.

Active Players, Most Career 20-Point, 20-Rebound Games

PLAYER

#

Dwight Howard

34

Kevin Garnett

27

Tim Duncan

20

Zach Randolph

9

2) In the first seven games of the season, Howard has 134 points and 112 rebounds. The only other NBA player in the last 25 seasons to match those totals in the first seven games of a season is Shaquille O’Neal in 1992-93 with the Magic (187 points, 117 rebounds).

3) Teammate Ryan Anderson had 23 points and 15 rebounds of his own vs. Washington. It was the third time in Orlando franchise history that two Magic players had 20 points and 15 rebounds in the same game (and the second time Howard and Anderson have done it).

Magic Teammates with 20 Points & 15 Rebounds – All-Time

Game Date

Opponent

Player (Points/Rebounds)

01/04/2012

vs Wizards

Dwight Howard (28/20), Ryan Anderson (23/15)

01/30/2011

vs Cavaliers

Dwight Howard (20/20), Ryan Anderson (23/16)

11/09/1994

at Hornets

Shaquille O'Neal (46/20), Horace Grant (25/15)

The last teammates to have two 20-point, 15-rebound games within a year were Tim Duncan and David Robinson in 2000-2001.

Anderson has increased his scoring average by more than nine points per game.

Largest Points per Game Improvement – 2010-11 à 2011-12
(Minimum 40 Games in 2010-11, 3 Games in 2011-12)

Player

2010-11

2011-12

Andrew Bynum

11.3

22.3 (+11.0)

Ryan Anderson

10.6

19.7 (+9.1)

Jarrett Jack

8.9

17.0 (+8.1)

Marcus Thornton

12.8

19.4 (+6.6)

Jeff Teague

5.2

11.4 (+6.2)

Bonus: The Magic have made at least eight three-pointers in every game this season. They are two games shy of tying a franchise and NBA record for most consecutive games to start a season with eight three-pointers

Most Consecutive Games to Start Season with 8+ 3-Pointers – All-Time

Season

Team

#

2007-08

Orlando Magic

9

2011-12

Orlando Magic

7 ^ACTIVE

2010-11

Phoenix Suns

7

2007-08

New Orleans Hornets

4

2007-08

Toronto Raptors

4

2001-02

Boston Celtics

4

Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, Jan. 6, 2011, 9:27 AM

Rhino on the loose

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel takes over Glass Half Full. From his Friday column on Ryan Anderson:

"If Ryan keeps playing the way he's playing," Magic GM Otis Smith says, "he's got to get on the ballot somehow."

Who knows if Anderson's phenomenal play will continue, but right now he is one of the most potent weapons in the league. He leads the Magic in scoring with 19.7 points per game and leads the NBA in 3-pointers. He has become a rare commodity — a 6-foot-10 player who can shoot the 3, handle the ball and rebound.

Howard actually says this Magic team reminds him of the 2009 team that went to the NBA Finals. If so, Anderson is a major reason. He's starting to look more and more like Rashard Lewis in his prime — without the $118 million price tag.

Smith and the organization's front office rightfully get a ton of criticism for some of the deals that haven't worked out (see Gilbert Arenas), but rarely do they get the same amount of credit for some of the personnel moves that have made the franchise the third-winningest in the league over the last four seasons.

"It's the nature of everything," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy says. "We take the good for granted and when something doesn't turn out, we jump all over it. There have been a lot of damn good moves made here. Dwight, Jameer and J.J. (Redick) all came through the draft, and none of those picks were considered no-brainers at the time. And Courtney Lee was a great pick that allowed us to get Ryan Anderson."

At the time, the media portrayed Anderson as a "throw-in" when the Magic sent Lee, Rafer Alston and Tony Battie to the New Jersey Nets for Vince Carter. In hindsight, Carter was the throw-in and Anderson was the steal of the deal. Smith says now the Magic never would have made the trade if Anderson hadn't been included.

"We gave up a good, young player in Courtney Lee and felt it was important to get one in return," Smith says.

Anderson says he is thankful Smith and Van Gundy had the confidence to push for him in the deal. Playing with Howard, after all, is a shooter's dream. With defenses sagging to keep Dwight from dominating the middle, Anderson has the space to launch the three. Likewise, his height and ability to shoot over defenders often opens up the inside for Dwight.

"From Day 1, the Magic have shown a ton of faith in me," Anderson says. "They have consistently shown that they didn't consider me just some throw-in when they made the trade with New Jersey."

Back then, we all thought the Magic were trading for a former All-Star in Vince Carter.

Little did we know that Ryan Anderson might very well turn into a future All-Star."

1) As Sunday’s furious comeback illustrates (102-96 victory over Toronto), the Magic have been a very good fourth-quarter team so far this season.

Orlando Magic, Periods 1-3 vs. Period 4, 2011-12
(with NBA ranks)

Periods 1-3

Period 4

PPG

72.0 (14th)

25.8 (5th)

OPP PPG

71.8 (T-17th)

17.2 (1st)

Pt Diff/Game

+0.2 (15th)

+8.6 (1st)

2) Dwight Howard continues to make collecting at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots in the same game seem almost routine. With four such performances this season, he blows away the rest of the league since 2008-09.

Most Games w/10+ Pts, 10+ Reb & 2+ Blk Shots, Since 2008-09

PLAYER

#

Dwight Howard

154

Tim Duncan

64

Andrew Bogut

55

Pau Gasol

53

Josh Smith

53

3) The Magic will be playing on no days of rest on Monday, but Hedo Turkoglu has not yet seemed adversely affected by back-to-back games.

Hedo Turkoglu has returned to his play- making, attacking, trifecta taking and making mode.

Ryan Anderson is looking like a young Rashard Lewis hitting the three ball from his stretch four position.

And you have your pick-your-poison Superman in the middle. Dwight Howard has truly been super involving his teammates, while anchoring all things defense.

Says Anderson, "Having Dwight on your team is probably the easiest wide-open shots you'll get because he sucks the defense in so much and he's been doing a great job of passing on target to us."

Now, we have a long way to go, and the Magic squad which upended LeBron's Cavs and the tradition-rich Celtics was extremely resilient, always fighting back from deficits, always defending with a capital 'D'.

But Glass Half Full can't help but think about the comparisons, especially with a more experienced Anderson filling the role of Sweet Lew.

Add in a better-than-ever Howard, healthy Jameer Nelson at the point, and the shooting guard combo of J.J Redick and Jason Richardson and just maybe we have something special here.

1) Over the past few years, very few teams have been a bigger pain in the side for the Nets than Orlando.

Most Total Wins vs. Nets, NBA Since 2007-08

TEAM

RECORD VS. NETS

Boston Celtics

14-2

Orlando Magic

12-2

Miami Heat

11-3

Indiana Pacers

11-3

New York Knicks

11-5

Toronto Raptors

11-5

2) Ryan Anderson and Hedo Turkoglu have both been hitting from long range.

Most 3-pt FGs Made by Duos, NBA 2011-12

#

TEAM

DUO

17

Boston Celtics

Ray Allen 12, Keyon Dooling 5

14

San Antonio Spurs

Manu Ginobili 8, Richard Jefferson 6

13

Orlando Magic

Ryan Anderson 8, Hedo Turkoglu 5

13

Oklahoma City Thunder

Daequan Cook 7, Kevin Durant 6

12

Philadelphia 76ers

Andre Iguodala 7, Louis Williams 5

3) Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson enter year eight of their center-guard partnership.

Most Seasons Played as Teammates, Active Players
(Duos Currently with Same Team)

SEASONS

DUO

13

Kobe Bryant & Derek Fisher

11

Tim Duncan & Tony Parker

10

Tim Duncan & Manu Ginobili

10

Manu Ginobili & Tony Parker

9

Kobe Bryant & Luke Walton

9

Dwyane Wade & Udonis Haslem

8

Dwight Howard & Jameer Nelson

8

Dirk Nowitzki & Jason Terry

Posted by Glass Half Full, Monday, Dec. 26, 2011, 1:30 PM

Baby No More

So, where did Glen Davis get the nickname "Big Baby"?

Ronald Glen Davis was born on New Year's Day in 1986. He was given the nickname when he was 9 years old by a youth league coach. At 5'6", 160 pounds, he was too large to play pee-wee and played with older kids. He used to cry when playing with his older teammates, and his coach would tell him, "Stop crying, you big baby."

1) The Magic ranked fourth in the NBA in both scoring and field goal defense last season. They were one of three teams to rank in the Top 5 in both categories.

Teams Ranked in Top 5 in Scoring & FG Defense – 2010-11

TEAM

SCORING

FG%

Boston Celtics

91.1 (1st)

.434 (3rd)

Chicago Bulls

91.3 (2nd)

.430 (1st)

Orlando Magic

93.7 (4th)

.436 (4th)

2) The Thunder were good in the open floor last season, but teams struggled to run against the Magic.

Own/Opponent Fast Break PPG (w/ NBA Ranks) – 2010-11

Thunder

Own FB PPG - 16.2

6th most

Magic

Opp. FB PPG 10.7

fewest

3) Jason Richardson put up much better numbers versus Western Conference than Eastern Conference foes last season. He averaged 18 points on 52 percent shooting (60% from behind the arc) in two games versus the Thunder.

Jason Richardson – 2010-11

VS. EAST

VS. WEST

PPG

13.2

18.1

FG%

.418

.472

3-PT%

.343

.446

Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, 1:30 PM

Three Point Play

* The Magic and Thunder have alternated wins and losses over their last five meetings, with the home team holding serve in each contest.Last Christmas, Oklahoma City beat Denver, 114-106, for its first win on December 25 — the team’s 1-11 record (.083) is the worst by any team with more than one Christmas Day game (since 1954). Orlando is 5-3 all-time on Christmas.

* Orlando is 14-8 (.636) in its season openers, which is the fourth-best record in the NBA.

* In his last seven games against the Thunder/Sonics, Dwight Howard has averaged 28.6 points and 15.4 rebounds. In two career wins versus Orlando, Kevin Durant has averaged 32.0 points and made 70.6 percent of his field goal attempts; in five losses to the Magic, he has scored 16.6 ppg and has made 30.2 percent of his shots from the floor.

“That’s where I see Earl’s role,” says head coach Stan Van Gundy about the former first round draft pick (14th overall by Phoenix). “It will be a great opportunity for him and where I see him getting his minutes.”

Clark has appeared in 93 games over the last two years, 42 with the Magic after coming to Orlando with Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu in exchange for Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat and Mickael Pietrus.

Clark is extremely athletic and brings a lot of energy to the court, especially on the defensive end.

Since signing on Thursday, he has basically lived on the Magic practice court, getting caught up on the Magic offensive and defensive sets before and after practices.

Simply said the former Louisville Cardinal with a wide smile, “It’s great to be back.”

Here's the Glass Half Full three-point play synopsis after the first seven days of training camp practice:

- Despite a bit of a media circus and a ton of Dwight Howard chatter, practices have been competitive and spirited. The Magic men are showing their true professionalism. And by the way, no one can stop Superman. He's taking his game to another level.

- The rookies - Justin Harper and DeAndre Liggins - have learned a lot quickly and have worked daily to get better. Liggins is a top notch competitor, solid defender and has a good feel for the game. He's made a bunch of positive plays during scrimmages and will do the little intangible things that ultimately allow you to win games. Harper has shot the ball extremely well in scrimmage play, is working toward being a good defender and is a great fit for how the Magic play offensively as a stretch power forward.

- Jason Richardson and J.J. Redick have come to camp in great shape...Big Baby Davis is a great vocal leader and has the cache of having a championship ring...Ryan Anderson is lighting it up...Von Wafer has a lightning quick first step, can really score the ball, and also creates for others on the offensive end.

Justin Harper -- A stretch power forward/small forward in the Rashard Lewis mold; has good feel for game; shoots well with range; brings good athleticism.

DeAndre Liggins -- Recruited to University of Kentucky as a point guard, but played more shooting guard because of John Wall; good defender; brings toughness and won't back down from anyone; a combo guard.

While there rightfully is a lot of chatter about Dwight Howard, it’s also worth noting what Superman has accomplish right here in Orlando. Aside from his national endorsements (Gatorade, Adidas, McDonald’s, T-Mobile etc..) and Tonight Show with Jay Leno appearances, not to mention his 2.5 million worldwide Twitter followers, here’s a quick glance at Howard’s basketball accolades.

· Named to the All-NBA First Team four straight seasons (2007-08 to 2010-11)

· NBA Defensive Player of the Year in three consecutive seasons (2008-09 to 2010-11), becoming the first player in NBA history to win the award three straight times.

· MVP Runner-up in 2010-11.

· Member of the USA Men’s Senior National Team program and helped the USA capture the Gold Medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

· Has appeared in 567 career NBA regular season games, all with Orlando, averaging 18.2 ppg., 12.9 rpg., 1.5 apg. and 2.17 blkpg. in 36.0 minpg.

· Has played in 57 postseason outings, averaging 19.9 ppg., 14.4 rpg., 1.4 apg. and 2.77 blkpg. in 39.4 minpg., while leading the Magic to 2009 NBA Finals.

· Has 414 career double-doubles, including 32 career 20-point/20-rebound games and five 30-point/20-rebound efforts…Also has recorded 45 career double-doubles during the postseason.

· Shot .578 (3,615-6,255) from the floor.

· Recorded 1,525 dunks and led the NBA in dunks for six straight seasons (2005-06 to 2010-11).

· Earned NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors six times (November 2006, April 2006, November 2007, December 2007, October/November 2010, February 2011) and NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week 17 times.

· Has led Magic to the third best record in the NBA over the last four years (trailing just the Lakers and Celtics) and third best post-season record.

You have to love this quote from former Magic man, now Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Darrell Armstrong. It speaks volumes.

“Everybody’s got talent; everybody knows how to play when you’re in the NBA,” Darrell Armstrong said. “But everybody’s not going to play hard every night. So that’s what we did. We played hard. We played with our hearts, we played with our hustle, and it came out to be the heart and hustle that many fans around here still love.”

Orlando GM Otis Smith regularly distributes books to Magic players and members of the traveling support staff. This got Glass Half Full to thinking; So, what is Magic leadership reading this summer? Here's a snap shot complete with book reviews from Amazon.com.

President Alex Martins, "Harvests of Joy" by Robert Mondavi

Amazon.com review:

Wine is Robert Mondavi's business, but it is also his life. The founder of the Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley, now in his mid-80s, tells the story of his business and his life, laying out the lessons he learned in each, with writer Paul Chutkow.

Beginning with the legendary fallout in the 1960s with his younger brother and the rest of his family over the direction of the family-owned Charles Krug Winery, Mondavi describes how, at the age of 52, he started the Mondavi Winery, with the vision of making his wines, and those of all California wineries, equal in reputation to France's. The way Mondavi tells it, he almost single-handedly built up not only his business, but also the reputation of Napa Valley as a tourist destination, and of wine as a source of good health. He emphasizes his vision, drive, perfectionism, willingness to innovate, and work ethic, attributing many of his values to his immigrant Italian parents.

But Mondavi acknowledges that there were many sour grapes, some of his own sowing: the fallout with his brother that led to a multimillion dollar court settlement, the breakup of his 40-year marriage, the friction between him and his two sons over the winery, and the financial crisis after the company went public in 1993. Now, happily remarried, relations improved with his sons, and the business a successful global corporation, Mondavi sums up his life's lessons: "What you need is common sense, a commitment to hard work and the courage to go your own way." He also highlights 15 basic components of his philosophy of success, such as having confidence in yourself and always staying positive. He writes, "Out of all the rigidities and mistakes of my past, I've learned one final lesson, and I'd like to see it engraved on the desk of every business leader, teacher, and parent in America: The greatest leaders don't rule. They inspire."

A new story of common wisdom from the bestselling author of The Traveler's Gift.

Orange Beach, Alabama is a simple town filled with simple people. But like all humans on the planet, the good folks of Orange Beach have their share of problems - marriages teetering on the brink of divorce, young adults giving up on life, business people on the verge of bankruptcy, as well as the many other obstacles that life seems to dish out to the masses.

Fortunately, when things look the darkest - a mysterious man named Jones has a miraculous way of showing up. An elderly man with white hair, of indiscriminate age and race, wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt and leather flip flops carrying a battered old suitcase, Jones is a unique soul. Communicating what he calls "a little perspective," Jones explains that he has been given a gift of noticing things that others miss. "Your time on this earth is a gift to be used wisely," he says. "Don't squander your words or your thoughts. Consider even the simplest action you take, for your lives matter beyond measure…and they matter forever."

Jones speaks to that part in everyone that is yearning to understand why things happen and what we can do about it.

Like The Traveler's Gift, The Noticer is a unique narrative is a blend of fiction, allegory, and inspiration. Gifted storyteller Andy Andrews helps us see how becoming a "noticer" just might change a person's life forever.

Head Coach Stan Van Gundy, s"Mindset" by Carol Dweck

Amazon.com review:

Mindset is "an established set of attitudes held by someone," says the Oxford American Dictionary. It turns out, however, that a set of attitudes needn't be so set, according to Dweck, professor of psychology at Stanford. Dweck proposes that everyone has either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is one in which you view your talents and abilities as... well, fixed. In other words, you are who you are, your intelligence and talents are fixed, and your fate is to go through life avoiding challenge and failure. A growth mindset, on the other hand, is one in which you see yourself as fluid, a work in progress. Your fate is one of growth and opportunity. Which mindset do you possess? Dweck provides a checklist to assess yourself and shows how a particular mindset can affect all areas of your life, from business to sports and love. The good news, says Dweck, is that mindsets are not set: at any time, you can learn to use a growth mindset to achieve success and happiness. This is a serious, practical book. Dweck's overall assertion that rigid thinking benefits no one, least of all yourself, and that a change of mind is always possible, is welcome. Advance praise for Mindset “A good book is one whose advice you believe. A great book is one whose advice you follow. I have found Carol Dweck’s work on mindsets invaluable in my own life, and even life-changing in my attitudes toward the challenges that, over the years, become more demanding rather than less. This is a book that can change your life, as its ideas have changed mine.” –Robert J. Sternberg, IBM Professor of Education and Psychology at Yale University, director of the PACE Center of Yale University, and author of Successful Intelligence.